Single Parent for a couple of Days
Posted By Kathleen David on November 19, 2009
Peter’s business trips just kind of sneak up on us and pounce. We have a window when he might be going away for a day or so for work but we might not know until a week before if it is going to happen. This can play havoc with planning things at times but it is part of his job so we roll with the schedule changes.
This morning I got Caroline off to school without her usual Daddy hug. Peter and I pretty much split who gets up with her but we both make the effort to be up before she goes off to school. This is part of her routine which was interrupted a bit this morning so I gave her extra hugs and cuddles. We did the rest of the routine as usual but she did tell me that she missed Daddy.
So it is just Caroline and me for the next two days. With Ariel off at college, I don’t have the usual back-up. Fortunately we don’t have any after school activities or pressing appointments so I have a little flexibility with our time. It will be fine. Caroline loves routine but she can deal with changes. This is the kid that flew to the other side of the world without complaint.
If anything it will be a little harder on me. I don’t have my back-up. I have to be there when she needs an adult. There is no break from parenting or at least a few minutes to do something else. It has gotten a lot easier as she has gotten older. She doesn’t need adult supervision like she did over two years ago.
I applauded all single parents because it is not easy taking care of children on your own. But they step up to the plate every day and do what needs to be done. Most of the time without any recognition of their efforts to raise their children right. I gain a greater appreciation when it is just me but I know that my husband is coming home in a couple of days. But for some of these parents, they are all the kids have.
I would like to make a special shout out to the parents who are single parents because their partner is serving in the armed forces. We hear about the soldiers but I think we need to hear more from those that are taking care of their families while they are gone. They are heroes too.
I have a lot on my plate today and a couple of things I would like to get done while Peter is out of town because I have the house to myself for 6 hours while Caroline is in school.
I am grateful that I do get to experience what it would be like if it was just me but I love having my husband around.
My husband went away for 2 weeks and it was just Mattie and me. Since it’s for such a limited time, I enjoyed it immensely. If I had to do it on an ongoing basis, though, that would be rough. My sister is a single mom and I can’t believe all the stuff she juggles.
Our morning routine is a shared one. My husband gets home at 6:30 AM and I wake up Mattie at 7:30. She goes to get her Daddy, and he stays with her through breakfast until she gets on the bus for school. He needs and treasures this time because he is sleeping the rest of the time she is home and awake.
We had a really brief experience on Tuesday. I take Brian to the bus stop in the morning, but Tuesday I had to be at work at 8:30 for a meeting, so my wife had to take him. We play at the bus stop, and then when he gets on the bus I get my thumbs up, he waves, and then we stick our tongues out each other. I told my wife how to do it, but I was informed by the kid that she screwed it up and it wasn’t the same.